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Small hive beetles in winter

Pulled the sticky board from one of my hives today to see what was going on in there and found about 100 dead hive beetles on it, around the outside of the cluster.

We had some cold weather last week, the bees must have run them out to the outside of the cluster and they froze, which suits me just fine.

More than I expected, they've been raining down for a while it seems. Hopefully this next frigid blast will kill them all off, including any larvae in the ground, and I won't see so many next year.

I don't expect any local ones this year, unlike last year when we didn't get freezing weather much. Ground froze about 6 inches down this time, should get at least one more solid freeze and that will take care of the pupae.

I've not had any problems in the hive with the beetles other than seeing more than I would like. If I see as many this year as I did last, I'll make some traps I think.

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

This past summer was the first time I've witnessed any noticeable number of hive beetles in my colonies. They never posed a problem but I was surprised to see them as often as I did. I noticed some of the hives had a few on the sticky boards when I checked the boards during our last warm spell a couple of weeks ago.

Peter, I'm hoping that you are right about last winter being too warm and the larvae/pupae surviving in the ground. Last year I don't think the ground here ever froze more then a inch or two below the surface. This coming week our temperatures look pretty rough so I'm sure the frost line will go down.

Either way it appears it's time to study up on the beetles and have a game plan ready to go, just in case they are here to stay. I suppose I'm a naive optimist ... expecting them to go away.

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

Well at least that's reassuring that maybe he cold isn't good for them and maybe they won't reach me. I will be honest that I don't know much about them and I hope that they never make it this far north.

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

Originally Posted by DPBsbees

How far north are these **** things fully established at this point? This year was the first year I saw them here.

I had them in my hives last year. I didn't have any real issues with them last year, but I did have to freeze a frame that had larva on it. (Stupid beekeeper feeding cut-out comb on top of the inner cover. Bees don't defend that and they laid and hatched. The frame directly under the hole had larva. Lesson learned!!!) This year every hive had at least one trap. I did a cut out this summer and w/in 2 or 3 days there were a ton in the frames that I cut out.

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

Originally Posted by TheBuzz

They can hitchhike on packages up North but they can't survive a good freeze.

I know that there are alot of threads about beekeepers not agreeing, but I have to disagree on the above statement. I had beetles in Mass. over 10 years ago, we got cold weather every year, this was my isolation yard bees went out of the yard no bees came into the yard. Had shb in that yard every year once they showed up, there were no bee hives at that time for miles.
It's normally even colder in syracuse, and I have shb in most of my yards, last year was bad enough that I have ordered some traps to see which one works best. now here there are no isolation yards so they can come in from other beeks or go from my hives to others.

do agree that a good cold winter seems to cut down the # of mites though.

Last edited by wildbranch2007; 01-20-2013 at 04:34 AM.
Reason: added do agree

mike syracuse ny
I went to bed mean, and woke up meaner. Marshal Dillon

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

They can hitchhike on packages up North but they can't survive a good freeze.

Unfortunately I have to disagree with that statement. Here's my experience from Northwest of Chicago:

Two years ago I started to notice SHB in my hive. The hive was never slimed, but once I found THOUSANDS of larvae on the bottom board, under the screen. I was very concerned, but, the hive flourished. This was a new hive, off of almonds, and I assumed the SHB hitched a ride. I assumed that after the winter, I would see no more.

Our winter in 2011/2012 was warm, but heck, in this part of the country, even a warm winter is very cold by SHB standards. Come spring, the hive survived. I pulled the bottom boards under the screen and saw hundreds of dead SHB that attempted to over winter with the cluster. I was hoping to see no more. Unfortunately I saw more last summer than I have ever seen. They still posed no problem for the hive, though, but it was a little disconcerting to see so many. They DO overwinter with the cluster. No doubt.

Re: Small hive beetles in winter

First time in my area near the coast of MA. A new beek, 3 miles away, ordered a package - the new hive didn't last the summer. When inspected, several frames filled with SHB larva and a few beetles. OMTCW